


Betrayal

by spiffycups



Category: Baahubali (Movies)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-25
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2019-03-09 06:22:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13475544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiffycups/pseuds/spiffycups
Summary: I'm angry and I'm taking it out in this fic. It might be sad.





	Betrayal

She was sixteen for her first kiss. Devasena had not seen any girl so beautiful as Soundarya. Her voice, sweet as the chirping of sparrows, her hair smooth as black silk, her lips sweet as honeyed fried bananas; Devasena thought she would die from sheer happiness when Soundarya held her close and kissed her like her life depended on it.

 

\---

Devasena's hands shook in anger where she held them clasped in her lap. The lass who held her heart, had been promised away to a man who had saved her family from bankruptcy. 

"I would have done that!" She screamed when they met in her rooms. "Why didn't you ask me?" Her rage flowed out of her in waves of anguish. 

"Because I'm too proud to hold out my hands and beg." Soundarya kept her eyes on the tiles. "My father bargained his honour for my future. I would never have."

\---

 

Shivu snuck into her procession with all of the noise and none of the grace that Soundarya had had. Devasena sighed, suspicious and weary. No one had since compared. 

Honor, love, respect- he promised her these. 

She wanted to scream. No one promised her honesty. 

 

\---

Bhalla caged her while her husband died and her child was kidnapped by a murderess. Under the stars, drifting half awake on the waves of loneliness, she wondered if life would have been different if she had Soundarya by her side. 

Mad woman, she had married the dull and miserly man, and Devasena - well, Devasena had had to watch her live out that life in Kuntala. 

She had had to watch Soundarya sit unsmiling in the wedding. 

Watch her follow her husband (she still shuddered to use that word) around the fire as though circling a pyre. 

Watch her hold the pot of gold and rice in her hands and enter his home.

Watch her stand grimacing subtly in the man's embrace. 

Watch her hanging up the laundry, strong hands wringing the washing, forehead dripping sweat under the scorching heat, hips tanning where the saree scrunched up.

When she caught her eye, Soundarya bowed low, lower than she ever had before to Devasena, and that in itself was an apology. 

Her eyes sprung tears unbidden watching her lover's pride erode like a mountain down into dust. She took a deep shaky breath and resolved to be twice as proud. Never again would anyone write her off, or use her like a sack of gold coins. 

Devasena watched her for three years. Watched her lose her vitality, lose her hope, lose her smile. That was the last straw. She could not stand and watch the woman she still loved, die slowly.

She stopped walking through the streets, moved into a different wing of the palace and took up archery. With every arrow she released from the taut bow, she imagined it piercing the heart of the beasts- the men who used Soundarya as bargaining chips, as currency, as a body that was measured in how much work they could beat out of it. 

Sheimagined the arrows driving all her pain into their hearts, and shot and shot until her arms ached more than her heart.

\----

**Author's Note:**

> Before you leave a comment, think about your tone. If I made you feel things, that's fine, tell me that, cry about it if you want but if you're going to bully me about it- I will hunt you down and bite where it hurts.


End file.
